Ebony
by ANNABETHALWAYS
Summary: Alec Lightwood's life wasn't easy even before he was kicked out of home with a child to raise. Magnus Bane lives next door in the ratty apartment building and cannot stand that infernal baby's screaming. This is their story, of how they met and everything after.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is not beta read, it's pretty terribly written and most likely pretty factually incorrect. This is one of three already written chapters though so I hope you enjoy! (I'm not joking when I say it's terribly written.)**

Alec Lightwood's life was not easy, even before he had a child to look after. A gay boy in a very conservative community, smart and musical not really an athlete, preferring the company of his books than real people so it would have come as a sort of relief to have been kicked out of his home had he not had a child to look after and provide for. A child without a mother. A mother it clearly needed.

Alec held his screaming daughter, bouncing her up and down in a desperate attempt to calm her down but she wouldn't stop crying and it didn't help that Alec was crying too. He'd fed her, changed her, burped her, rocked her up and down but she still wouldn't stop crying. All Alec wanted was for his three-month-old daughter to stop, to sleep so Alec could sleep too.

"Come on, Ebony, it's time to sleep now. Please, you're going to wake the neighbours." As if they were asleep, they were part of the reason Alec didn't sleep half the time. He wished he could afford to raise his child in a place where people didn't do things such as the people next door did every night with different people or at least a place where there were walls thick enough to mask it.

This was not the atmosphere you wanted to raise a child in but Alec had already dropped out of school and was working all the hours he could get. He was raising this child with no help from her mother or his parents, he was doing it all on his own. Most would have killed themselves already or left the baby for dead in his situation but he didn't know that. He thought he was doing a crappy job of raising this little girl who deserved the world but it was the fact that he thought that that proved that this child was growing up with something that even the richest children didn't always have. Love.

"Come on Ebony, please. Please, please go to sleep now." Alec was sobbing along with his daughter now and she just wouldn't sleep or even stop crying for a minute. "Come on, sweetie, please go to sleep now. Sleep, Ebby, sleep, please. Please, please sleep." He was bordering on hysteria now but he didn't stop bouncing her up and down.

Magnus POV

Magnus stuffed his head under his pillow in a desperate attempt to block you that infernal baby's cries and her father's pleading words but it was in vain. The screaming was getting louder it seemed. It was his only night off, couldn't they let him bloody sleep! That baby never seemed to stop screaming, every night it would start up again. The last two months had been the same, screaming baby, crying and pleading father keeping everyone awake. On the rare days that the baby didn't scream life was back to normal. Not once, however, had the father shouted at the screaming child, not once had he lost his temper, Magnus knew he would have done it after the first week.

Just as the little wretch started screaming with renewed vigour Magnus threw the pillow off his head and marched out the door to the next door apartment and started banging on the door. Magnus heard the sound of a key turning and a lock clicking and the door opened to reveal- a boy. He couldn't have been older than seventeen, he should've been fast asleep at home not trying to calm a screaming child. His face was tear-stained, and the child in his arms was still screaming.

"I'm sorry if she woke you, really but I can't get her to sleep and-and she just won't sleep." The young boy burst into tears but he didn't even reach up to dry them away. It was obvious he was too tired to care. "I'm sorry, really really sorry."

He then turned his attention back to his screaming daughter, bouncing her up and down and pleading with her softly, "Please, Ebony, please. I'm sorry, sorry you have to grow up in this mess, I'm sorry, so so sorry."

Though when Magnus had stormed out of his apartments it had been his intention to give the father and child a piece of his mind he found himself unable to do it now for two reasons, the father was barely more than a child himself and he obviously was trying everything he could to get the child to sleep.

Magnus sighed and turned and went back to his apartment. He lay there in silence listening to the screaming baby and the pleading father, pondering the new information. Why was that boy raising the little girl alone? Where was the mother? Why weren't his parents helping him? Why wasn't anyone helping him? After about an hour the screaming ceased, the baby fell asleep and the only sound coming from next door was the boys soft sobbing.

Time skip to the next morning.

Alec POV

Alec was woken by Ebony screaming for her next feed, he found that he'd fallen asleep on the floor with his daughter in his arms. "Come on, Ebby, let's get you some food."

Clary arrived just as he was finishing changing Ebony's nappy and the first words out of her mouth were, "Oh, Alec." She dropped all her bags and pulled him into her arms. When she finally let him go it was because Ebony had started crying, she scooped her up and into her arms.

"Did you even sleep last night, Alec?" she asked.

"For maybe an hour or two." Alec shrugged and sighed leaning against the edge of the table. There was hardly any furniture in the flat save a bed, a table, a chair and a tiny cupboard. He had a microwave, a kettle and a sink. That was it, nothing fancy. He hardly had enough to do everything for Ebony and he certainly wasn't going to be hosting a party any day soon.

Clary tutted, "You know that's not enough sleep for someone who's slept well for the past week never mind someone who sleeps a total of three hours a night if they're lucky and then works the rest of the day."

"She wouldn't stop screaming, there was nothing I could do to make her stop." Alec rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Believe me, Clary, if I could sleep a whole night I would but I can't."

"I know," Clary smile sadly, "Jace called again, he wants me to come back at least for a day just so he can explain."

"You should go, I don't want to be responsible for your loss of happiness too," Alec muttered, not meeting her eyes.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood! I never want to hear you say that ever again!" she exclaimed, "I told him I would only go if you could come too and he said he just wanted to talk to me, he didn't say no so you're coming."

"Clary, I can't leave Ebony and I'm working," Alec said, shaking his head.

"I know, I said we would come in the holidays if at all," Clary grabbed his hands, "Look at me Alec, we're not going unless you're comfortable with it. I think it would be good for you to see if they still feel the same way they did three months ago but if you're not ready yet that's fine. You didn't really give them a chance to redeem themselves, moving here, selling your phone, not letting them even know your postal address. If I'm willing to give them a chance can you at least try too?"

"Okay fine but I really need to yet to work now Clary," Alec said, pulling his hands out of hers.

"I know, thank you, Alec, really." Clary smiled and Alec smiled back before grabbing his coat and vacating the building.

Magnus POV

As Magnus was leaving his apartment he bumped into the boy, literally, and sent him flying into the wall. Magnus knelt next to him, "I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired is all. Thanks for asking." The boy pulled himself up and leaned against the wall.

"Look, I don't just mean for just now I'm sorry about last night as well. I didn't realise you were alone." Magnus was not good at apologising, at all.

The boy laughed bitterly, "You're not but that's okay, goodbye I really need to work now."

"Wait, I'm Magnus." Magnus watched as the boy stopped and turned.

"Alec," he said before continuing on his way.

Alec, Alec what? And what was he doing going out? Who was looking after his child? It's not of your business, Magnus chastised himself but he couldn't help it. Why was that beautiful boy all alone in the world? Magnus sighed but he knew he was going to be late meeting his friends if he didn't hurry now.


	2. Chapter 2

**There was some kind of formatting issue, but I'm reuploading this now and I hope it works! I'm so sorry!**

 **I wrote this after I'd been reading LoTR please forgive me. Again it's really awful. So bad, the worst.**

Magnus POV

He was five minutes late, not that it mattered since Jem was the only one there and Jem had probably been there for an hour already knowing him.

"How goes it?" Magnus asked as he slid into the booth across from Jem.

"The same as always, I feel like I haven't slept all week even though I had a full twelve hours sleep last night. How are you?" Jem said, not looking up from the newspaper.

"I'm tired because there's a baby living next door with a father who is obviously no older than seventeen and has no idea how to calm the blasted thing," Magnus muttered, Jem didn't even react or it could have been that he hadn't heard Magnus. They sat in silence until Magnus asked, "Why would someone make their own son raise his child alone, Jem? Why would anyone do that?"

"Because they were scared or ashamed, Magnus because they didn't know what else to do but cast him out and detach themselves from him. It happens all the time, it's the main reason parents abandon their children. If you want to know what you can do, you can help him calm the child down, help him and make him feel like he's not alone." Jem smiled at him gently, "Don't let him wallow any more than he has to."

"Why aren't you a psychologist, James? You would be an amazing one no doubt." Magnus asked staring at the silver haired man in wonder.

"I found medicine a much more pleasing field of work and thought I could do a lot of good work as a doctor than a psychologist," Jem said in all seriousness, turning back to his newspaper.

"Is your newspaper really that interesting?" Magnus asked, incredulous.

Jem sighed, "No but I think I'm going to fall asleep unless I focus on something."

"Can't you focus on me?" Magnus found that he was rather worried about his friend.

"You are far too sparkly to be focused on, Magnus Bane. I fear you shall blind me if I do." Jem muttered, then started coughing rather violently.

"Jem, are you-" Magnus started but Jem waved him off.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It was nothing." He sighed as the coughing subsided, "I'm fine."

Magnus raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Jem was sick, they all knew that though they didn't know how sick. He was dying of some sort of cancer in his lungs and his brain, where it had started he didn't know and James wouldn't tell him. Jem was twenty years old and dying, Magnus hadn't known him when he wasn't so he couldn't say if it had changed him or not. The only one who could do that was Will who had been with Jem when he was diagnosed at the age of fourteen. The medicine he was taking made him tired and seemed to be draining him of colour hence the silver hair and eyes. His skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent at times. To say Jem was always tired would be an understatement, Magnus couldn't count the number of times he'd fallen asleep at parties and gatherings.

Magnus's musings were interrupted by the arrival of Will and Tessa. Magnus was astounded at how Will and Jem managed to be in love with the same girl and still be best friends. To be fair Tessa was in love with both of them too. The only reason they weren't in some sort of awkward limbo was because Jem didn't think it was fair for him to deny them happiness when he was dying anyway. That had caused some uproar of course but it had worked anyway.

"Greetings to all," Will said as he sat next to Jem.

Tessa rolled her eyes as she slid in next to Magnus, "Hello Jem and Magnus."

"Hello Will and Tessa, you are very late. What took you so long anyway?" Magnus asked. Will and Tessa exchanged a look.

"We had to pick some things up," Tessa answered.

Will poked Jem, "You are not supposed to be sleeping, yet." Jem woke with a start and threw a lot of extremely colourful language at him.

"Hello, Tessa." He greeted when he was done.

Will was staring at him in shock, "I didn't know you knew that many curse words, Jem."

Jem laughed, "Sorry but I was sleeping quite peacefully until you came along."

"I wish you wouldn't fall asleep every time we see you, it's rather rude you know," Will muttered.

"I don't enjoy falling asleep all the time, it's rather annoying actually." Jem sighed as he closed his eyes again. Will poked him.

Alec POV

Work was in a dingy old café that wasn't too far from home though it didn't pay the best it was the best he could get this close to home.

"You're late again, Lightwood." His boss shouted as he entered, "What was it this time, a broken car?"

"I didn't leave home in time, sorry." Alec knew that his boss would be kinder if he told him the real reason he was always late but he couldn't, only Clary knew. Only Clary could know.

"Unacceptable, Lightwood. If you're late again you can say goodbye to this job, now go. I have a breakfast to get to." Alec hurried into the kitchen and pulled on his apron, he had to do a really good job today otherwise goodbye Taki's, goodbye only source of income. He had to be on time tomorrow even though he knew it was impossible, Ebony would never let him go and Clary couldn't always be on time. Alec wasn't really sure why he didn't tell his boss, Mr Hodge wasn't unreasonable and he wouldn't fire Alec because he wasn't the rich kid who wanted to prove he could be independent like Hodge thought. Alec had never told him otherwise but he hadn't told him so either. Alec wasn't ashamed of Ebony, only himself.

Aline called up an order and Alec got to work waiting tables and cleaning up after the customers who sometimes did things he would rather not have seen. He had to escort at least two people out the back every day when it got passed the kissing and feeling stage. Alec was very good at waiting tables at this point and cleaning them, he'd even mastered the art of cooking but he still found it hard to do the escorting part of his job and he had had many a black eye in his time working there.

Alec's shift ended at eight but he stayed to help Aline lock up and do the final bit of cleaning up so he only got home at nine, fourteen hours that day and fourteen the next. When he got home he found Clary feeding Ebony, her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail.

"I'm pretty sure fourteen hours minimum wage is not legal for an adult never mind a teenager." She said as he took Ebony from her arms.

"Maybe but it pays the bills which is more than can be said for ten hours minimum wage," Alec replied rocking Ebony as he fed her.

"I wish you'd let me help you, Alec," Clary said with a sigh.

"I can't take your money or your food, it's bad enough that you have to babysit my child every weekend and after school for free." They'd had this discussion a million times but still, Clary would not let it go.

"Alec, you need help and you know it." Clary insisted.

"Please, Clary just let it go. If I really need it I will swallow my pride and ask you, I promise." Alec said rocking Ebony up and down.

"Okay, you promise?" Alec nodded and Clary smiled, "She slept for two solid hours this afternoon and she ate every three hours. I better get home or mom will wonder where I am. Goodbye Alec."

"Bye, Clary." Alec watched as she left, he put Ebony down on the bed gently then grabbed his pyjamas and kicked off his shoes. He had a quick shower in the freezing cold water and climbed into bed with his tiny sleeping daughter. Please sleep through the night, Ebby, Alec prayed silently right before he fell asleep.

Magnus POV

The baby was quiet that night so Magnus fell asleep relatively quickly and didn't wake until eight the next morning when someone barged into his house. It was only Catarina but Magnus hated being rudely awakened so he pretended to be asleep.

"Magnus Bane I know you're awake and if you have a heart you will sit up and listen to me." She announced but Magnus still didn't react.

She sighed, "Magnus, it's James."

"What?" Magnus sat bolt upright, "What happened?"

"Oh, would you look at that, he's not dead," Catarina said.

"Catarina," Magnus warned, not in the mood to joke.

"He's in hospital, he had some sort of seizure. It's never happened before, he seems okay now except for tiredness but they're keeping him for observation, I thought you'd want to know." She said.

"Whoa, but he's fine now?" Magnus asked.

"He seems fine but it could mean that the tumour is spreading into different parts of his brain or the medicine has stopped working properly or that it's a side effect of the medicine," Catarina explained.

"Can I see him?" Magnus asked, thinking back to the previous times Jem had been in the hospital, "Is he in the ICU?"

"No, you can come see him but get dressed first."

Jem seemed paler than normal and much smaller against the white hospital bed but besides that, he looked the same as always, he was arguing with Will about something and Tessa was watching them with a small but worried smile on her face. Magnus took a deep breath before entering.

"Hello, all. I assume you are the reasoning for my rude awakening?" Magnus directed the last part at Jem. They always joked when he ended up in hospital, it was easier than weeping and anyway, Cat said it was better for Jem mentally if they didn't take everything too seriously. Will was the only one who ever broke that unspoken rule and that was when the reason Jem was in hospital because he had strained himself or 'forgotten' to take his medicine (that had only happened once and in the end Will and Tessa and taken him home with them to oversee him (mainly to make sure he didn't try to do it again.)).

"Apparently I am." Jem answered before turning back to Will, "You're wrong."

"I'm not, it is yesterday. You could barely keep your eyes open, you should have said something and we could have avoided this situation." Will replied indignantly.

Magnus sighed, so that's what they were arguing about. The reason for this new development, Will obviously thought Jem had strained himself yesterday but Jem disagreed.

"You're both right," Catarina said, "Jem should have said something yesterday but this isn't something we could have prevented or foreseen, telling us yesterday could have delayed it but then it could have been worse than ever."

"Now, I'm hungry so where's the food?" Magnus asked.

"We have hot chocolate, coffee and bagels," Tessa said, obviously glad to have something to do other than watch her boys fighting.

"Bagel and coffee, please." Magnus gratefully accepted the food from Tessa. He hated it when the atmosphere in the hospital room got awkward because it always meant Will and Jem had been fighting and usually about Jem's health as there wasn't much else they fought about, not seriously at least.

Magnus noticed Jem eyeing his food, "Aren't they letting you eat?" he asked.

Jem shook his head mournfully, "I probably couldn't keep it down anyway."


End file.
